1. Field
The disclosed embodiments relates to a method for assembling a window along an opening provided in a side wall of the fuselage of an aircraft.
2. Brief Description of the Related Developments
The disclosed embodiments relate to a method for assembling a window along an opening provided in a side wall of the fuselage of an aircraft.
In commercial aircrafts for example, openings are provided in the side walls of the fuselage to receive windows and enable the passengers to see directly the environment outside the fuselage.
However, these windows generate many drawbacks. First, a window on an aircraft must provide a sound and a heat insulation of the internal space of the fuselage from the outside so as to provide comfort to the passengers. In addition, it must be water and airtight.
The frame of the window which is typically riveted onto the skin of the fuselage must also resist the mechanical constraints such as the loads resulting from the flexion of the fuselage and the pressurization which is applied onto the window.
The window must then comply with the aero-dynamical profile of the aircraft.
All these constraints led manufacturers to provide a specific stiffening of the window area.
FIG. 1 schematically shows a partial sectional view of a prior art window mounted on a side wall 1 of an aircraft fuselage.
The aircraft window includes an external pane 2 and an internal pane 3 forming a second safety barrier, and it is itself potentially protected against accidental scratches by a third pane.
The external pane 2 and the internal pane 3 are separated from each other by a joint 4 which provides a sealing function.
The frame of the window 5 is made integral with the side wall 1 of the fuselage using two rows of rivets (not shown) extending on the whole periphery of the opening 6 on the side wall 1 of the fuselage.
The panes 2, 3 and the joint 4 are held in position by mechanical fasteners such as fastening clips 7 and nuts and studs.
Assembling these mechanical fasteners is difficult and a time-consuming job. This assembling is thus expensive as regards the detention of the plane in case of maintenance.
These mechanical fasteners also mean an additional weight which has a negative effect on the consumption of kerosene by the aircraft.
In addition, some of these mechanical fasteners require the provision of additional holes in the side wall of the fuselage. Now the provisional holes in the skin of composite fuselage mean many constraints as regards the mechanical behavior.
It can be noted that some brackets are fragile and are submitted to an increased maintenance, which increases the aircraft servicing costs.
Then an urging need exists for an aircraft window of a simple design and operation which can be positioned without any additional drilling of the skin on the fuselage and an easy and optimum maintenance thereof.